Maritimers step up to provide support to Ukraine

Maritimers, including those of Ukrainian descent, continue to do what they can to help the war effort in Ukraine.

At Journey Church in the Fredericton area, medical and hygiene supplies are being collected.

"We sort it into boxes, we package it, we label it with contents," said Tatiana Vasylyeva, who is from Ukraine and lives in Fredericton.

A tactical supply store in Hanwell, N.B., owned by a Canadian Forces veteran stepped up with $30,000 in wearable gear.

"The best thing I could do was help supply military clothing in the form of boots, pants, and shirts that soldiers or civilians that are going to be helping defend the Ukraine could use in their fight against the Russians," said store owner Cary Baker.

The challenge now is getting the packages overseas.

"We had a company that was willing to ship for free out of the country and they've recently just changed that, so now it's $3 a kilogram to ship into Poland and then into Ukraine," said Matt Maxwell, the pastor at Journey Church.

The church is hoping to find a way to fund the delivery or find a company that can move the items quickly.

"All my other family, my friends, my identity is back in Ukraine and Ukrainians want to live in Ukraine. As nice as it is to extend your home and welcome, we want to live back in Ukraine," said Vasylyeva.

For Ukrainians in the Maritimes, some are afraid that the war will go, on but support will waver.

"Our people are dying, our kids are dying because our clinics, our hospitals doesn't work now, there's a lot of destroyed hospitals in Ukraine,” said Irene Hunchyk, who is from Ukraine and lives in Fredericton.

Journey Church is continuing to accept donations of medical and hygiene supplies, however they are not accepting food or used clothes.